This is a sampling from Bay Area News Group’s Political Blotter blog. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.

May 23

A Democratic Assembly candidate’s appeal to Republican voters has drawn a stern rebuke from state GOP Chairman Jim Brulte.

Steve Glazer, an Orinda councilman and former political adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown who now is seeking the 16th Assembly District seat, sent out a mailer recently urging Republicans to “put an effective fiscal conservative in the state Assembly” by voting for him.

The mailer included statements of praise for Glazer from three Republicans who hold local elected offices: Orinda Mayor Sue Severson, Lafayette Mayor Don Tatzin and Moraga Councilman Dave Trotter.

“The California Republican Party believes that a Republican can’t win in our Assembly District,” Severson said in her statement on the mailer. “Don’t throw away your vote. Vote Steve Glazer for Assembly.”

But the California Republican Party has included 16th Assembly District candidate Catharine Baker, a Dublin attorney, in its “Trailblazers” program — a recruitment, training and advisory program for state legislative candidates.

“A pro-tax liberal Democrat like Steve Glazer can try all he wants to deceive Republican voters to vote for him, however, as Chairman of the Republican Party, I speak on behalf of California Republicans,” Brulte said in a statement issued Friday morning. “I can assure you that the CRP, the Alameda Republican Party and the Contra Costa Republican Party are doing everything possible to win the 16th Assembly District. We are confident Republican Catharine Baker will be the top vote-getter in the primary. A Republican will win the 16th Assembly District and Catharine Baker is that Republican.”

The 16th District’s voters are about 40 percent Democrats, 32 percent Republicans and 22 percent nonpartisan. Two other Democrats — Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti and Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich — are also in the race, and experts believe either Glazer or Sbranti will finish with Baker in the top two in the June 3 primary.

May 23

A new poll shows Rep. Mike Honda with a commanding lead over fellow Democrat Ro Khanna and two Republicans in the June 3 primary election.

Honda, D-San Jose, is at 40 percent, Khanna is at 21 percent, Vanila Singh is at 8 percent and Joel VanLandingham is at 6 percent with 24 percent still undecided, in the poll of 528 17th Congressional District voters who either already have cast vote-by-mail ballots or are likely to vote by or on June 3.

The poll — conducted Tuesday through Thursday by SurveyUSA on behalf of San Francisco’s KPIX-TV — has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“This poll shows that voters overwhelmingly prefer Congressman Honda and want him to continue his record of delivering for the district,” Doug Greven, Honda’s campaign manager, said Friday. “Mike Honda has a strong 40 percent in a four-way primary race, while Ro Khanna has squandered what was once a $1.3 million advantage last year to barely get half the support that Congressman Honda has.”

The poll’s release comes on the heels of new Federal Election Commission reports showing Honda’s campaign now has a slight cash-on-hand edge over Khanna’s for the first time, pointing to a more level playing field this summer and fall should the two of them finish on top in the June 3 primary.

But those now supporting Singh or Van Landingham might be more inclined to vote in November for Khanna than for Honda, who is one of the House’s most liberal members. And this poll already shows Khanna leading Honda among independents, who account for almost 32 percent of the district’s registered voters.

“We’re pulling close and have the momentum because Ro is laying out a concrete and positive vision for how to prepare people for the jobs of the 21st century and how to reform the dysfunctional Congress that is standing in the way of that progress,” Khanna spokesman Tyler Law said Friday. “People are tired of the status quo and are looking for fresh energy and a new direction. That’s what Ro’s offering and the voters are responding.”

In a friend's dining room in central Los Angeles, 27 hours before she will announce she's running for president of the United States, I ask self-help author and motivational speaker Marianne Williamson to perform a miracle. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't know Williamson was planning to join the Democratic presidential primary class of 2020.